I have a 5 month old rottweiler/lab mix and he has recently taken up eating his and other dog's poop. I can't always catch him, but I can tell when he is doing it because his breath reeks of it. Any advice on what I can do to make this snack less appealing to him?

Prin

April 10th, 2006, 08:12 PM

The only things to do are make sure he is getting all the nutrition he needs and keep him away from the loads either by correcting him with the leash or just watching him and correcting him. Either way, you just have to watch him more.;)

shykat101

April 11th, 2006, 12:43 AM

i have that same problem w/ my pit bul, rot, and bull bog but instead od dog poo is horse poo... my dad says it's okay but i don't really beleive him though...maybe horse poo is different than dog poo...

jonik

April 11th, 2006, 08:56 AM

i had the same problem with my rottie mix i gave her & my other dogs this pill called Distate you can get at Dr.Foster & Smith from either a catalog or the web site, it helped

marko

April 11th, 2006, 01:45 PM

Hi,

This might help and it is from the ask the vet archives section located here.
http://www.pets.ca/index-QAarchive.htm

"Question:

Dear pets.ca,

My dog is one of those dogs that occasionally eats the poop of other dogs when I take him out for walks or let him run around in the dog parks. He also licks the urine where other dogs have urinated. Obviously I make him stop when I catch him...but I don't always catch him.

So here goes..... why does he do this?
Is it dangerous for him to eat poop or lick urine?
Is it common? How can I get him to stop?

Please Help G.L.

Answer:

Hi GL,

The reason he does this is usually due to behaviour habits. I would almost guarantee that he has not yet been neutered or was neutered as an adult dog rather than a puppy. He is being territorial and relishing in strange dogs' poop/urine or may be trying to remove any evidence of another dog's scent marking territory where he is being walked.

It is not usually dangerous but is a disgusting habit and the thought of him then 'kissing' or licking you is not quite as appealing.... for obvious reasons. The danger that may be posed occasionally is that he is susceptible to picking up parasites or bacteria that may cause illness carried by the other dogs.

I have seen it or heard of this condition from some of my clients -- usually unneutered males or as indicated before, neutered later in life when territorial habits have already set in.

The cure? Start by neutering if you already haven't done so. Secondly you will need some professional help of an obedience trainer who can show properly how to negatively reinforce this behaviour and positively reinforce leaving this alone. Thirdly you would need to discuss this carefully with your Veterinarian whether this is a behaviour issue that may benefit from some behaviour medications available for dogs.

The term of eating poop is called coprophagia but is most commonly reported when dogs eat their own poop. In this case a product called Forbid can be added to the food, but as indicated, you will need to gain some professional advice on the best course for your dog. "

I had a female spayed german shephard and she did the same thing. I was told that with cheaper brands of dog food they lack the nutition. Not becasue the company dosen't put enough, they put a required amount, and some put more but becasue some dogs just need more and can't absorb enough of it in cheaper dog foods. So her bad habit was not a behavioural one, she knew when she lacked an adequet amount of nutition and tried to absorb more through eating her stool. Its an instinct they have and they seem to know where to get they're extra nutrition. Kinda sickning to think that a dogs stool can be nutitious. I was never told a speciifc vitamin or mineral that she was lacking but I did switch to a much better quality dog food, and soon after, she stopped. However true this information that was passed on to me was, I don't know but I did change her food and she stopped.
This is quite concerning especially with the threat of parasites. I'm not you, however, I was out there scooping up right after when i realized what she was doing so not to give her a chance to snack on her stool. She never ate any other dogs stool, just her own. There are supplements for animals that might help you also. Look into it and good luck !!!
Love your pets unconditionally !!!
Have a great day.
LEEPSUN

Hi,

This might help and it is from the ask the vet archives section located here.
http://www.pets.ca/index-QAarchive.htm

"Question:

Dear pets.ca,

My dog is one of those dogs that occasionally eats the poop of other dogs when I take him out for walks or let him run around in the dog parks. He also licks the urine where other dogs have urinated. Obviously I make him stop when I catch him...but I don't always catch him.

So here goes..... why does he do this?
Is it dangerous for him to eat poop or lick urine?
Is it common? How can I get him to stop?

Please Help G.L.

Answer:

Hi GL,

The reason he does this is usually due to behaviour habits. I would almost guarantee that he has not yet been neutered or was neutered as an adult dog rather than a puppy. He is being territorial and relishing in strange dogs' poop/urine or may be trying to remove any evidence of another dog's scent marking territory where he is being walked.

It is not usually dangerous but is a disgusting habit and the thought of him then 'kissing' or licking you is not quite as appealing.... for obvious reasons. The danger that may be posed occasionally is that he is susceptible to picking up parasites or bacteria that may cause illness carried by the other dogs.

I have seen it or heard of this condition from some of my clients -- usually unneutered males or as indicated before, neutered later in life when territorial habits have already set in.

The cure? Start by neutering if you already haven't done so. Secondly you will need some professional help of an obedience trainer who can show properly how to negatively reinforce this behaviour and positively reinforce leaving this alone. Thirdly you would need to discuss this carefully with your Veterinarian whether this is a behaviour issue that may benefit from some behaviour medications available for dogs.

The term of eating poop is called coprophagia but is most commonly reported when dogs eat their own poop. In this case a product called Forbid can be added to the food, but as indicated, you will need to gain some professional advice on the best course for your dog. "

leepsun, that's true. A lot of dogs who eat stools will only eat the stool of dogs who are fed crap food. The stool smells like protein and nutrients (because they weren't absorbed), so it's just as good as food.

My doggies have been on great food and no dog has ever touched their stools..

Feeding your dog a more digestible food (i.e. no corn in it) might reduce the stool eating, if it's really about nutrition and not a bad habit. (Correction might still be needed though)